Season 5 Podcast 10 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 12 Pt III Episode 40 “The Redcross Knight is Betrothed to Una.”

Season 5 Podcast 10 Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Book I, Canto 12 Pt III Episode 40 “The Redcross Knight is Betrothed to Una.” In last week’s episode, none dared approach the corpse of the dead dragon which stretched out for acres, his body as high as a mountain, his tail alone was as long as three football fields. Led by the King and Queen the entire country celebrated the death of the dragon which held them in captivity for four years. The Redcross Knight is treated as a conquering hero and Una is recognized as a princess, the daughter of the King and Queen. A great feast is held. As was customary in tales of knight errantry, after they had feasted the King called upon the Redcross Knight to recount his adventures before he released them from the great dragon. Then when with meates and drinkes of every kinde Their fervent appetites they quenched had, That auncient Lord gan fit occasion finde, Of straunge adventures, and of perils sad, Which in his travell him befallen had, For to demaund of his renowmed guest: Who then with utt'rance grave, and count'nance sad, From point to point, as is before exprest, Discourst his voyage long, according his request. The King and Queen are overwhelmed at the pitiful adventures recounted by the Redcross Knight. The tales the knight told brought tears to everyone’s eyes. Great pleasures mixt with pittiful regard, That godly King and Queene did passionate, Whiles they his pittifull adventures heard, That oft they did lament his lucklesse state, And often blame the too importune fate, That heaped on him so many wrathfull wreakes: For never gentle knight, as he of late, So tossed was in fortunes cruell freakes; And all the while salt teares bedeawd the hearers cheaks. Knight errantry means wandering knight. In medieval romance literature, it was common for a knight to recount his adventures to the edification of others. A knight represents the ideal person, such as King Arthur in the Faery Queen. Their tales were generated as the Knight Errant was embarked upon some noble quest such as the Redcross Knight and the fiery dragon, The tales of the knights of King Arthur particularly express Christian virtues such as the tales of King Arthur, Sir Gawain, Sir Galahad, Sir Perceval. In the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain’s greatest sin was withholding the scarf of Sir Bertilak’s wife which he thought had magic powers. His cowardliness caused Sir Gawain excruciating remorse which he humbly confessed to the other Knights of the Round Table. In the Redcross Knight’s quest he was threatened by dragons, evil magicians, giants, wicked seductresses, and evil knights such as Sans Joy, Sans Foy, and Sans Loy, which mean without joy, without faith, and without law. The wise King told the Redcross Knight that he had born great evils from the beginning to the end of his great enterprise, such that he had never heard greater. He blessed God for bringing the Redcross Knight to his shores. The King recommends that they devise a means of ease and eternal rest. Then sayd the royall Pere in sober wise; Deare Sonne, great beene the evils which ye bore From first to last in your late enterprise, That I note whether prayse, or pitty more: For never living man, I weene, so sore In sea of deadly daungers was distrest; But since now safe ye seised have the shore, And well arrived are, (high God be blest) Let us devize of ease and everlasting rest. However, the Redcross Knight rejects the offer of everlasting rest. He says he must return to the Faerie Queen and serve her for six more years in battle against the pagan king. He begs the king’s pardon until he has completed his mission.